Now, five years later the city is prepared to never see that kind of inundation again. Good thing too, as there's more rain on the way.

"We've been forewarned. The weather's been forecast for days now," said Gary Brown with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

Not taking any chances, the DWSD feels better prepared - and not just because of the annual reminder of how bad flooding can get.

"So we've got all our trucks ready and prepped," Brown said. "We've rescheduled our employees to make sure we have enough drivers and employees on hand to take care of any standing water."

In addition to the new investment, Brown said crews are also clearing any drainage pipes and letting their tanks get "almost down to the empty stage" in the event they need to handle a large influx of water.

The amount of preparation is a farcry from what residents faced a half-decade ago.

"We didn't have the equipment, we didn't have our pumps working as efficiently as they are now and I think we're going to be in good shape this week," said Brown.

But it's not just the city that's taking precautions. Residents are shoulding some of the burden as well.

"I'm going to set my pump out or set it up, so that should I get an overflow in the basement, I'll be prepared for it," said Charlene Vantress, a neighbor in Jefferson-Chalmers, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in the city.